


Proposal

by Kittie



Category: Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: F/M, I am so tired, Josephine Romance Spoilers, Not Beta Read, This was written over a year ago bye, and cute, and why is this such a rare pair, it's fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-04-19
Updated: 2016-04-19
Packaged: 2018-06-02 04:07:29
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,392
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6550090
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kittie/pseuds/Kittie
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Cullen will fight for her hand even if Josephine doesn't want him to.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Proposal

"I’ve been looking all over for you. I’ve just received the most terrible news."

The words echo in his head for a moment, the distraught sound of her voice leaves him on edge as he moves in closer. Another threat on her life? Something wrong with her family? So many things cross his mind but what he does not know.

"What… is it?"

Cullen questions, straightening. He is not used to this tone. In all of the days he’s known her… she’s never sounded quite so lost. He aches to reach out to offer his support but his hands don’t seem to work and his mouth only dumbly moves to form the most idiotic question. The anxious feeling only worsens as she looks away, eyes searching for an escape. She’s tense and he feels the muscles between his shoulder blades tightening in response.

"I’m engaged."

Surely, it’s a joke. Amber eyes blink; confusion clear as day in honeyed hues. He hasn’t asked for her hand? How is this possible?

"I do not understand– when did… this… happen?"

He curses the way his voice curls, heavily tainted with how he feels. Engaged? When? To whom? How has she gone this far without telling him? The bottom of his stomach feels as if it has completely disappeared. He wonders why this is a shock to him at all. Her explanation makes sense. She had no say. The commander feels better in knowing that but her parents made the decision to wed her to another. He cannot stand in between what her parents want. Respect dictates he cannot mess families. The game makes little to no sense to him. Would that be wrong? what could he do? He needed to do something beyond blindly accepting his defeat

"Is there anything I can do?"

He asks far too readily. He cannot stand the thought of not being able to be near her as he was before. While not vastly knowledgeable in what a relationship entailed– he wasn’t one to give up and let this wither away. Diplomacy was a slow, agonizing process. Who knows how long it would take? But when she says there is nothing he can do, the she wouldn’t risk his reputation– his reputation means nothing if he doesn’t have her. He’d give up everything and anything for her– he realizes in quite the startling fashion. He opens his mouth to speak but she rambles, walking away. Cullen’s heart constricts in ways he never knew it could.

He leaves with his head hanging, if someone notices; he doesn’t out right care.

The next time they speak it is over a war table meeting. Cullen catches himself glancing at Josephine more than once while Leliana’s bemused smile. The inquisitor is far too caught up in the idea of killing a dragon to pay attention to their advisers. For that, he is grateful. He is less grateful when the meeting ends and Josephine doesn’t look at him. His heart lurches as gloves fingers reach out to catch her spare hand. She does not look hopeful and Cullen's heart pounds with nervous energy.

No news, nothing has happened.

"Is there anything I can do?"

She looks solemn, shaking her head. Unless he was to wager himself a duel and fight for her honor– nothing has made quite as much sense to Cullen in the game. Fighting? Fighting he can do. Dueling would have different rules but give him a blade and he’ll fight to his dying breath. For Josephine? He’s not quite sure where that line sits but he’ll duel a noble for her. If anything, that’s far easier than what she’s planned. There is harm in duels but he would willingly harm another for her. Leliana looks at him and nods. The duel is set.

The commander does not like Val Royeaux. far too bright, too pretty. It’s a waste if there ever was one. He does not need to be here long, only long enough to feel the hilt of a sword and disarm the man who challenges him for Lady Montilyet’s affection; there is none for him and it makes his blood boil. The man speaks. this is show for him. he knows who he challenges: Ser Cullen Stanton Rutherford of Honnleath, commander of the inquisition’s forces. yet, he does not falter. Cullen isn’t quite sure what to make of the man beyond his showmanship.

You could teach a man to fence but the man would do no good against a soldier with more than a decade of experience under his belt.

They circle each other like birds of prey. A crowd gathers around but Cullen waits for the lord’s move. This is not his game, he will play off until he deems he’s let the match run it’s course; til it bores him. Ultimately, the conversation bores him. He does not like the rapier but insulting it would do no good for his cause. He nods along wishing for the man to stop speaking and move. His muscles ache with the need to push forward– but this is a game, he reminds himself. He waits.

Then he moves.

Cullen parries with easy, letting the lord push him long enough to make a scene. He pushes once, testing the man’s reflex. It isn’t bad but it’s hardly good. He finds his mouth opening to correct him– but shuts it. He is not a recruit, he does not need to teach this man how to probably lunge at him with a sharpened blade.

Then he speaks of Josephine, her beauty, and Cullen loses it for a moment. He jerks forward, a brilliant move if he were outside looking in. Blood tips his blade and were that enough–

"Stop!" her voice rings out and Cullen is distracted. Blades tilted down, the commander watches the ambassador move people to slide into where their match was held. Anger colors her cheeks and the blond thinks nothing of it. Perhaps if she’d see what he was willingly to do–

"What are you doing?" Her anger is palpable. he doesn’t stand down, not when he’s doing this for her.

"I couldn’t let you marry him– I… I couldn’t… I wouldn’t take the risk."

His decision had not been made lightly. Leliana had made sure he was aware of every aspect of what his decision to deal the lord would entail. He accepted that and would have accepted more were it necessary.

But she’s still mad. It wasn’t his decision? It wasn’t his choice to fight for her? It had been! Someone had to fight for her! It might as well be the man that’s in love with her than some Antivan backstabbing cretin who dotes on her appearance more than her intellect and personality.

"Why risk your life?"

"Because I love you!"

Cullen has never been a man to make a scene but– he doesn’t understand why she doesn’t get it. This– this– he’s never felt this way about anyone before. He’d run up against death a million times with nothing to truly fight for but this skirmish? She was his motivation to succeed. The only motivation he needed.

The stuttered question gets him. Had he not been obvious enough? Had he not proclaimed his affections like a knight did in one of Varric’s trashy novels; Maker help him should Varric hear about this.

"Yes. I do. More than I… could… ever imagine."

The sword falls from deft fingers as the ambassador ran up to him, her words carry in the wind.

"I love you too."

He’d later hate himself for the cliched movement but excitement bubbles up in his chest as hands rest on the hips of Josephine's thrown body. His scar pulls when his mouth spreads with the grin. The crowd dissipates and Cullen cares not. He love her and she, him. It was all he’s ever wanted; all that had been dangled before him and snatched away by nightmares. The lord speaks and Cullen almost levels him with a glare– but he withdraws the engagement. Amber eyes blink as he should; Cullen had first blood. He doesn’t comment, not when he’s too busy staring at her. Too busy to hear her thanks. Too busy to watch the lord walk off.

When she turns to him again, he embraces her.

At her command, he kisses her again.


End file.
